Heirs to the Dark
by Dark Disaster
Summary: How did Voldemort and Harry Potter end up in a romantic relationship? A potions accident might hold the answers.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I was reading Young Princes by .Xanda (which you should read) and really liked the idea of a Papa Voldemort so while waiting for them to update I thought I would try my hand at this category. Let me know what you think!

* * *

"AAAAHHHHH" the screams of a dark haired man echoed through the stone chamber as his body shook, overcome by blinding pain. The pain was excruciating and he never wanted to experience this again.

Finally, the screams stopped as did the twitching. Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, stared at his reflection in the mirror and laughed. The unnaturally pale skin, crimson eyes, and snake-like and nose-less face was gone. In its place was the thick, wavy dark hair, naturally pale skin, and the aristocratic facial features from his early twenties. His dark eyes, however, had instead become a soft burgundy color, no doubt a side effect from the Horcruxes.

His magic sang in his blood, his body felt strong, and his mind was brilliantly clear for the first time in almost 4 decades. For the life of him he couldn't remember why he ever thought splitting his soul into 6 pieces had been a good idea. It was a good thing that he hadn't been able to use the Potter child's death to create a seventh Horcrux. Who knew what utter depths of madness he would have descended to if he had succeeded.

With one last admiring look in the mirror, Lord Voldemort left the ritual chamber he had ensconced himself in and headed towards the throne room. Time to shock his followers with not only his change in appearance and his sanity, but also of the return to the Dark's original goals and tactics.

Lucius Malfoy glanced at his friend and fellow Death Eater, Severus Snape as they waited for the appearance of their Lord. He knew Severus was as confused as he about the reason for their summons and both men had braced themselves for the pain of a _Crucio_ , as well as some suicidal mission.

Which was why both men could be forgiven the lapse in stoicism and manners as they gaped, slack-jawed and flabbergasted as their Lord swept into the room looking not a day over 30, his reptilian features gone, and the eerie crimson eyes had mellowed to a calmer burgundy.

"My, my Lord!" Lucius stammered even as both men dropped to their knees, bowing their heads. Although Severus didn't speak, his wide eyes showed his surprise.

"Rise my Elite. There is no need for you to grovel before me like mindless minions." Voldemort's smooth baritone flowed over them.

The two men quickly rose and found themselves filled with a strange emotion, _hope_.

"As you can see I have regained the visage of my younger days as well as my sanity. My arrogance and paranoia have set back our cause, but not all is lost." He stated, leaning forward in this throne, chin resting on his fist.

"You mean we are returning to our original goals? There will be no more mindless killings?" Lucius spoke before he could censor himself. Now he cringed, bracing himself for the expected pain of a _Crucio._

But it never came.

"Yes, Lucius. We shall go back to the original goals. Killing will most likely be necessary, but there will be none of the mindless violence that has unfortunately characterized our recent efforts. This is why I have summoned the two of you here. I have specific tasks I want each of you to take charge of which will take a lot of effort and planning. It will be slow going, but this will put us on track to achieving our goals with less bloodshed and the so-called Light side won't be able to stop us." Voldemort said, passion and certainty lacing his words.

Despite the shock at their Lord's new appearance, or perhaps because of it, both men felt a renewed loyalty to the Dark, which had been wavering due to the reckless actions of a madman. Looking at each other, the two elite dark wizards were reminded of why they had joined their Lord in the beginning and the change they had hoped to bring about in the Wizarding world.

"What do you need from us?" Severus asked.

"Lucius, your task will be two-fold. First, you will need to find out all of the dirty secrets Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix are hiding. Albus especially, find out about his youth, his defeat of Grindelwald, his actions in the Wizengamot, the International Confederation of Wizards, and his tenure as Hogwarts Headmaster. Then we will start chipping away at his power, first through his actions as Headmaster and then we will go after his political standing until he is nothing more than a pariah!" Lucius' eyes gleamed with the challenge. "Simultaneously, you will work on Cornelius Fudge. Spin it however you like, but we need to get the restrictions on the magical races lightened and then eradicated. We cannot win this without the support of the werewolves, the veela, vampires, and other sentient magical creatures. It would be ideal if we could get the goblin nation on our side before we win, but at the very least this will show that we intend to honor the promises we make. We'll also need to review the current and dormant laws which are still in effect to see what needs updating, modification, or eradication." Voldemort stated mind awhirl with the monumental task ahead of them. "Take as many Death Eaters as you need and divide them among these tasks as you see fit."

Lucius very nearly broke out in song and dance, he was so overwhelmed (in a good way) with possibilities. This was what he had dreamed of working towards when he had first accepted the Dark Mark. A chance to use his political savvy to effect much needed change in the Wizarding World. There was so much that was wrong with their world, but that people pretended to be unaware of. This was his chance to not only make the Wizarding world a better one, but also a chance to be one of the major power holders in their society.

Voldemort quirked his lips almost fondly as he watched his right hand man begin plotting and scheming. Then he shifted his eyes towards his genius of a potions master. "Severus, I will need your assistance with some spell-crafting ideas I have. You will also be working on making modifications to the Wolfsbane potion as well as other potions that will be useful for the magical races. Finally, I have some vague ideas for potions that don't exist yet and you can experiment to your heart's content with them." The Dark Lord smiled at the sudden gleam in the Potion Master's eyes.

"Let's get to work my friends."

* * *

The Dark Lord surveyed his Death Eaters from where he was seated in his throne on an elevated dais in Slytherin Manor's Great Hall. There were several tables spread out through the Hall covered with parchment, ink, quills, and books. Various Death Eaters were hovering around each table murmuring quietly to each other, brainstorming on how best to carry out their individual missions. Lucius moved between each table, stopping to listen in, comment, or veto an idea. Severus had claimed one corner of the room simultaneously monitoring an experimental potion while sketching runes on the floor for one of his and the Dark Lord's ideas on bypass anti-Apparition wards.

Voldemort allowed himself a small quirk of the lips as he realized things were finally progressing the way he had always wanted. Although he had done extensive research into the Dark Arts following his Hogwarts graduation, he had always wanted to teach at Hogwarts. He enjoyed teaching and working with the younger students and would have happily remained involved with the school. But of course that plan was thwarted by Albus Dumbledore who had become Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore who had never liked and trusted Tom from the moment he found out about his Parselmouth status. Sometimes, late at night, Voldemort wondered what his life would have been like had Dumbledore taken Tom's complaints seriously, if he had for one moment believed in Tom.

Alas, Dumbldedore flat out rejected his application as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and instead Tom went to Plan B – politics and the reformation of the Wizarding World. He was not so naïve as to think that he could immediately change the things worked, but he knew there was a lot that needed to happen and wanted to take an active role in effecting that change. But, Dumbledore had also stepped in here to blacklist him from the Ministry and had all but forced Tom into becoming the Dark Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort shifted slightly in his throne before resuming his thoughts. He had never regretted becoming a Dark Lord and taking the violent way to effect change, but Dumbledore had interfered again, raising the Order of the Phoenix to counter his Death Eaters. Dumbledore, who believed so strongly in the good of Light Magic and the evil of Dark Magic, who believed in eradicating out dated Pureblood culture and forcing Muggle traditions on the Wizarding World. Dumbledore truly believed that it was a good idea to bring both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds back into contact the way it was before the time of the Founders.

The only thing that Voldemort truly regretted was breaking up his soul into multiple Horcruxes. His original intention had been to make two – one for an anchor and the second as a backup in case something happened to the first one. But somewhere along the way between Dumbledore's constant attacks and his own fear of death he had lost his way and formed more than the original two Horcruxes causing him to slowly slide into insanity and unnecessary violence and moving further and further from his original goals.

It had only been just recently with that fiasco in the Ministry of Magic that he was able to regain some semblance of control. His brief possession of Harry Potter had made him realize that the boy was actually a Horcrux. A Horcrux!

The realization that his prophecized enemy was a container for his Horcrux shocked him enough to push past the cloud of insanity to realize that Dumbledore knew for sure about his Horcruxes. He had probably already suspected before this, but with Harry Potter's curse scar Dumbledore would have had proof of what Voldemort had done to insure his immortality. This knowledge was what drove Voldemort to recall his inanimate Horcruxes – the Diadem, the Locket, the Ring, and the Cup – and reabsorb them resulting in his current state. He had planned to leave the Diary and Nagini as his only anchors and then reabsorb the Horcrux in Potter when he next encountered him. However, the discovery of the destruction of his Diary had enraged him and earned Lucius a session under the _Crucio,_ but he didn't kill the blonde for it as he might have done if he had not reabsorbed the other Horcruxes. After some intensive research and experimentation, he had determined that the loss of one Horcrux would not have undue side effects, but he resolved to guard Nagini fiercely. He also had to determine what to do about Potter.

An inanimate Horcrux could be reabsorbed with minimal damage to the container, but there was nothing written about what would happen if he tried to remove a Horcrux from a living vessel. Voldemort frowned at this. He supposed he could just kidnap the boy and transfer the Horcrux to an inanimate container, but what would that do to the boy? And did he care?

Potter was magically strong as evidenced by their numerous encounters over the past 5 years. He also carried several old bloodlines if the rumors of the Potters being descended from Gryffindor and Peverell were true and he was quite possibly the heir to House Black. Not to mention that the boy was unafraid to defy him when grown men couldn't even speak his name.

Was it possible to recruit Potter to his side? Or at the very least get the boy to swear a Neutrality oath? Voldemort hummed softly to himself as he considered this. The boy's own stubbornness and hero complex would be obstacles as was his having murdered Potter's family. He would have to give this more thought – perhaps the boy could be convinced now that he was in his rational mind again and if he could explain his original goals? He couldn't replace the boy's parents, but perhaps there was something else he could offer the boy? Voldemort sighed – this would not be an easy task. However, since Dumbledore had yet to do anything about the Horcrux he assumed the wily Headmaster would wait until all of his other Horcruxes were destroyed before attempting to do something about the one in Potter's scar.

Voldemort paused mid-thought. The only ways to destroy a Horcrux, at least that he had been able to discover, were through Fiendfyre and basilisk's venom. Fiendfyre was incredibly difficult spell to cast and control and a basilisk's venom was extremely rare. So how did Dumbledore plan on destroying the Horcrux without harming his Chosen One? The Killing Curse could kill Potter, but what would it destroy the Horcrux as well? Or would the newly severed Horcrux latch on to the closest inanimate object?

Voldemort straightened in his throne abruptly. No. That was absurd. There was no way the Leader of the Light would contemplate this…..would he? Voldemort mulled this over. An 11 year old, even the Chosen One, should never have attempted to protect the Philosopher's stone when there were highly trained wizards in the castle who would have been much better suited to dueling Quirrel/Voldemort. He didn't know how the Diary was destroyed, but he bet Potter had something to do with it. Even though he had instructed Barty Crouch, Jr. to put Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore should have been able to remove him from the tournament, even if it meant destroying the Goblet of Fire for no 14 year old would have been able to survive in a tournament where even older experienced wizards had died before. Snape had told him about the disaster of the Occulmency training with Potter. Snape was a master Occulmens and Legilimens, but given the history between the two, if he were in Dumbledore's shoes, he would have found someone else to teach the boy the basics at the very least. Could Dumbledore have really let this events play out without attempting to help the boy because he wanted to ensure that Voldemort and Potter met as many times as possible hoping that Voldemort would use the Killing Curse and accidentally destroy his own Horcrux?

Voldemort slowly nodded his head. Yes, Dumbledore was perfectly capable of sacrificing the Chosen One in the name of the Greater Good. Now was it possible to use this information to persuade the boy to remain Neutral if not swear his allegiance to Voldemort? He resolved to set the idea aside for now. He had many other pressing matters to take of before deciding on the best course of action relating to Potter.

" _Confringo!"_ One of the Death Eaters shouted.

Voldemort groaned silently. Even though the vast majority of his Death Eaters were satisfied with the new order of things that still did not mean that everything was happy go lucky on the Dark side. There were still plenty of arguments among the Death Eaters both in relation to their missions as well as attempts to supplant others in his favor.

He rose to his feet intending to put a stop to the fight but the small explosion had everyone diving for cover. The _Confringo_ spell had been deflected by the intended recipient with a shield charm which normally wouldn't be a problem. However, the spell had ricocheted off of the shield and hit Severus's experimental potion just as the man had removed the stasis charm to add an ingredient. The Potion's Master had thrown himself to the side while simultaneously casting a Containment shield around the area to prevent further mishaps. Voldemort frowned, wand raised and at the ready, when he saw that thick, dark purple smoke had begun to fill the area under the Containment charm. He winced when he realized some of the potion had leaked over the runes Severus had laid out. Who knew what an experimental potion attempting to mimic a Time Turner would do when crossed with runes trying to circumvent anti-Apparition wards. Salazar help them!

All the assembled Death Eaters held their breaths and their wands at the ready when the smoke receded leaving in its place three children.

Voldemort blinked, stunned, as he stared at a mini-version of himself, complete with red eyes, who looked to be about 9 years old. The older boy was holding the hands of two younger children both of whom had the brilliant green eyes that could only belong to Harry Potter, but had his cheekbones and jawline. The middle child who looked to be around 7 had a mop of black hair that definitely came from the Potter genes while the youngest at 4 had thankfully inherited his own silky locks, but had a red shimmer to it that could have only come from Lily Potter.

The boys looked around unsure of what was happening when the oldest child locked eyes with him. "Papa!"

Voldemort realized his life had just gotten way more complicated and this time he couldn't even blame it on Dumbledore.


	2. Chapter 2

"Papa!" the 4 year cried out and, before the shocked Death Eaters could move, had raced to Lord Voldemort and threw his arms around the stunned Dark Lord's legs.

The other two boys hurried towards the Dark Lord as well.

"My lord? What? I don't understand?" Lucius stammered lowering his wand. The other Death Eaters did the same when they realized there was no threat.

Voldemort didn't respond, but rather lowered himself in his throne which allowed the 4 year old to clamber into his lap. The little boy was sniffling and burrowed into the Dark Lord's chest. "I'm scared Papa."

Without thought the Dark Lord's arms tightened reassuringly around the little boy. "It will be alright Little One."

He looked up at the still gob smacked Death Eaters. "Go back to what you were doing." He ordered. Slowly the Death Eaters did as ordered, but kept sneaking glances towards the unexpected family on the dais. "Severus, Lucius come with me." The Dark Lord ordered, standing with the youngest child in his arms. He looked down at the two older children. "Come my sons, let's go somewhere more comfortable."

"Of course Papa." The oldest said calmly as the middle child grabbed a fistful of the Dark Lord's robes.

The walk to the Dark Lord's study was quiet as the kids seemed quite content now that they were with their Papa, and Severus and Lucius were too confused to keep up a conversation.

Voldemort kept staring at the child in his arms. There was no hiding the resemblance the boy held to Harry Potter. _I know I was thinking of how to persuade Potter to join my side, but I certainly was not expecting this!_

Finally, arriving in the study the Dark Lord settled down on the couch with the two boys quickly seating themselves on either side of him. Severus and Lucius seated themselves in the two arm chairs and waited while the Dark Lord ordered refreshments and the fire lit.

The Dark Lord looked down at the three boys and felt a wave of joy and possessiveness run through him. He had sons, heirs to the Dark side.

"Well my sons, it is certainly a surprise to see you. What are your names?" He asked gently running his hand over the child's hair.

"I'm Aeron Ignotus Potter-Slytherin," introduced the oldest boy. "I'm named after great-grandfather Peverell."

"I'm Aray Moony Potter-Slytherin" the 7 said proudly. "I'm named for Uncle Moony."

"I'm Dewi Severus Potter-Slytherin." The 4 year old said smiling. "I'm named for my godfather Uncle Sev."

Voldemort had to work very hard to keep a straight face as Severus suddenly had an epic choking fit at the thought that he was godfather to another generation of Potter spawn.

"How?" Lucius repeated, still in shock that not only the Dark Lord and his nemesis Harry Potter were apparently in a romantic relationship, but that they produced children, and had named Severus godfather. Maybe this was the real sign of the end of the world?

"I'm afraid we are at a bit of a loss my little ones. There was an accident that brought you here and we have no idea about your family and your history." The Dark Lord said looking at his heir, his oldest son.

The boy frowned thoughtfully. "Right, well you and Harry Potter are our parents. Daddy always said that you were mortal enemies until the day he came into his full-magical inheritance. Luckily, grandpa and grandma Potter had the foresight to have the goblins at Gringotts retrieve daddy from his house on the eve of his 17th birthday and take him to a special chamber at Gringotts. That's how he found out a lot of information he never knew." Aeron began.

"What kind of information?" Lucius asked intrigued. There were many rumors that had surrounded the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter in pureblood circles for the longest time, but that had never been proven one way of the other. The most well-known of these rumors was that the Potters were descended from Hogwarts Founder Godric Gryffindor and the youngest of the famous Peverell brothers.

"Daddy said that when he woke up on his birthday he was confused why he was in Gringotts, but the Head goblin explained everything. Daddy had come into his inheritance as a Dark Elf." Aeron continued, but had to stop at the sputtering and gobsmacked looks on his Papa's and Uncles' faces.

"A Dark – Dark Elf!?" Lucius exclaimed.

"But they were thought to have been extinct since there have been no appearances, at birth or through inheritance, since the time of the Founders!" Severus exclaimed. Although he was very much intrigued since he had been fascinated by the little information and tales that existed about the Dark Elves as a student at Hogwarts.

"A Dark Elf." Aeron said firmly. "The Head goblin explained to daddy that Dark Elves had been born or received their inheritances far more often than people thought. However, they used their natural glamours to hide their trademark characteristics to avoid being hunted by Light wizards for their natural affinity for the Dark Arts along with their other abilities. Dark Elves could inherit the ability to do Battle Magic, Elemental Magic, Divination, or Telepathy. The most feared Dark Elves inherited Necromantic abilities which is what Daddy had." Aeron said.

"A Necromancer." Voldemort said. Well, no wonder he and Potter had ended up in a romantic relationship. He would have done _anything_ to ensure that Potter remained loyal to him even if he had to fake sexual and romantic interest in the boy. Although the presence of the children indicated that it might not have been so fake.

"Yes. And the Head Goblin also explained about daddy's curse scar and what it meant. He also explained how Dumbledore had sealed the Potters' will which allowed him to become Daddy's magical guardian and place him with Petunia and Vernon Dursley instead of someone like Uncle Moony." Aeron continued.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Are you talking about Petunia Evans? Lily Potter's sister?"

Aeron and Aray both nodded and Severus snarled viciously. "What in Morgana's name was Dumbledore thinking placing _any_ magical child with her?"

Lucius placed a calming hand on his friend's arm. "What do you mean by that?"

"Petunia was always a jealous, spiteful bitch growing up. She was jealous that Lily had magic while she didn't. She was always sabotaging Lily's things and trying to get her in trouble. It continued to grow from there until Lily finally stopped speaking to her sister. I would imagine she couldn't hold any semblance of warm feelings to Lily's child." Severus said.

"Right." Aeron agreed. "The goblin was also able to tell daddy about his inheriting the Gryffindor and Peverell Lordships as well as the Potter one. As Lord Gryffindor, and as no other Founders' Heirs had been named, he had more power than the Headmaster of Hogwarts and could overrule the Headmaster's decisions in certain aspects such as hiring teachers or determining how the budget was allocated. Daddy also found out that the only reason the Weasley children were able to attend Hogwarts was because Dumbledore had used some of daddy's money from his trust vault, which was the only one Dumbledore was able to access, to pay for tuition and school supplies."

"Why am I not surprised." Lucius murmured.

"Daddy said he really didn't mind, but it would have been nice if someone had told him about this ideally before he attended Hogwarts, but even afterwards would have been better than having to be told about this from a goblin and not Dumbledore or better still by Arthur and Molly."

"Daddy said he was overwhelmed by all of this new information and didn't really know what to think. Now that he was 17 he could use magic outside of Hogwarts so he decided to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the remainder of the summer catching up on his homework and looking over his vaults which contained a lot of information about Dark Elves and other family history."

"I wonder why he didn't just stay at the Order's Headquarters? After all he did have the right to be there." Severus mused out loud.

Voldemort frowned slightly at that. That was the only problem with Severus spying on the Order. He had taken an Unbbreakable Vow to not reveal the Order's Headquarters so that he couldn't attack and wipe out a good portion of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Even when he arrived at Hogwarts that year no one said anything to him about having left the Dursley's so daddy assumed that no one had even checked on him or tried to bring him to Headquarters. For the first few months back at Hogwarts daddy tried to get used to his new inheritance and was wrestling with what he should do about the information that had been kept from him because of Dumbledore's manipulations. Daddy said he was so conflicted because even though all of this had happened to him he wasn't sure that the Light was wrong, but he also realized he had never been given a choice in any of this and he only vaguely understood the goals of the Light side. Partly because no one had ever told him, but also because everyone would brush his questions off whenever he tried to ask." Aeron explained.

Voldemort tightened his arm around Dewi who was now fast asleep in his lap. "Why didn't he try to reach out to someone on our side if he was questioning Dumbledore?" He questioned.

"Daddy said he wasn't sure that, even with what he found out, the Light was in the wrong – he later said that was mostly due to Dumbledore's influence as he was growing up. Also he wasn't sure that anyone on the Dark side he reached out to would tell him the truth even if they were not talking to the Boy Who Lived. Plus Daddy explained that even if he believed in the goals of the Dark side you would still want to kill him for the being the prophesized one that could kill you Papa."

Voldemort slowly nodded at that. Yes, if Potter had approached him before he regained his sanity he probably would have lulled the boy into a false sense of security so that he could eradicate the threat to himself.

"At least Potter isn't a complete dunce." Severus muttered under his breath and Voldemort pretended not to hear him.

"So what changed?" Lucius prompted.

"Daddy stayed at Hogwarts over the Yule holidays. Although Granger and Weasley hadn't gone home for the holidays he felt confident in practicing his abilities in the Room of Requirement while they were occupied. Daddy never knew for certain, but they somehow found out about his inheritance as a Dark Elf and informed the Order. The only way daddy knew about this was because he was told there was an Order meeting he should attend and when he arrived he was immediately attacked by the Order. Daddy didn't go into too much detail, but he said they wanted to keep him alive because he was still the Chosen One and Savior of the Light. He was able to use both his wandless magic and his necromantic abilities to escape the house." Aeron explained solemnly.

The three dark wizards were stunned. They knew Dumbledore wasn't the Light wizard he portrayed himself to be, but attacking their savior? Since they weren't going to kill the boy it was obvious Dumbledore planned to imprison him until he was needed – either to appear in public or to fight the Dark Lord. They would have to use several nasty and illegal potions to keep the boy, no young man, compliant since he could throw off the Imperius curse.

"Once daddy escaped he made his way to you using your mental connection from the curse scar. You told us you had daddy healed because you wanted to know who would attack the Boy Who Lived when you knew none of your Death Eaters had done so. But after daddy explained what had happened you swore an oath not to kill him if daddy did not try to kill you or to return to the Light side." Aeron finished explaining.

The Dark Lord felt like his head was going to explode. This, this changed everything. If Potter really did join his side and he was able to conquer the Ministry of Magic then he would finally be able to achieve his goals. Muggle influence would be curtailed and he could focus on the myriad problems that plagued Wizarding Great Britain.

Severus and Lucius felt a renewed hope fill them. They had been ecstatic with the Dark Lord's regaining his sanity and knew that they had a chance to win against Dumbledore once again. With the Light's savior on their side, however, the Light didn't stand a chance.

Aray looked up at Voldemort. "Does this mean that daddy will come stay with us now?" At that little Dewi woke up and also turned to his papa. "Daddy's coming here?" He said excited.

Voldemort couldn't help but soften at the excitement in those bright green eyes. Now that he knew what the future held he would do everything in his power to woo Harry to his side. And looking at the three children with hope in their eyes he knew would do anything to insure that Harry never considered another man or magical being as his mate.

"Yes, my little ones. I will bring your daddy here to stay with you while we figure out how to return you to your time." Voldemort said soothingly as he hugged Dewi and ran his hand over Aray's head. "But for now let's get you settled into your rooms while I discuss with Severus and Lucius what to do about getting your daddy here." Voldemort stood up with Dewi in his arms while the two younger children eagerly bounced up as well.

Severus and Lucius remained seated while calling for a house elf.

Voldemort headed to his personal wing of the manor which no Death Eater was allowed in, including Lucius. The wards were old and had been extremely powerful on their own when the Dark Lord first moved into the manor. He had added his own layer of wards and defensive spells as well, making it the most secure part of the manor and the only place he would entrust the safety of his children.

"Do you wish to stay together for this one night or do you want to sleep in your own rooms?" He asked.

"I think together is best." Said Aeron as he held Aray's hand and looked at the sleepy Dewi.

He led them into a room with a huge queen poster bed with dark green curtains. The Dark Lord transfigured the boys' clothes into pajamas and helped them into bed. "Tomorrow we will get you real clothes and you can pick out your own room." The Dark Lord said. He brushed a kiss over each of the boys' foreheads and stood looking down at them for a moment.

"Good night Papa."

"Good night my sons."

Walking back to his study the Dark Lord was surprised to find he felt happy. And not in the I'm-happy-because-something-has-gone-right-in-my-plot-to-rule-the-wizarding-world kind of way, but rather a bone deep all-encompassing joy that everything in his world was going right. Voldemort was a little unsure of how to handle these new emotions as creating the Horcruxes had removed his ability to feel deeply. Of course he felt mildly content at times and he felt all of the emotions considered negative, but he hadn't felt purely happy in a very long time. The Dark Lord paused in thought. Actually, had he ever felt such pure joy? No, no he hadn't and that was a shame.

But no matter. He had sons! Sons that he thought he would never have. After Hogwarts he had been focused on expanding his magical repertoire and then he had been focused on starting the war to take over Wizarding Great Britain to consider producing heirs let alone finding someone worthy to stand as his Consort. And of course spending 13 years as a wandering spirit certainly hadn't helped in that department.

One potions accident had changed all of that. He had three magically powerful sons, being the children of a Dark Elf and a Dark Lord would ensure that, and they would be the future of the Dark sect. The youngest was so adorable that Voldemort had a feeling he would not be able to deny the little one anything. His oldest was practically a carbon copy of himself and combined with the Potter-Gryffindor ancestry he was sure to have the best qualities of both lineages. Aray, the middle child definitely took after his daddy's side of the family, but considering what he was capable of the Dark Lord believed the middle child would be just as extraordinary as the other two.

And speaking of his daddy….The Dark Lord hummed as he thought about Harry Potter. Voldemort had always thought the young man attractive in an aesthetic sense what with his jewel-like green eyes, black hair and high cheekbones. Although he would never admit it, the Dark Lord appreciated that someone could (and did!) stand up to him. However, since the young man had been a child during their various encounters the Dark Lord had never even considered him as a lover – he did have some morals after all.

But the young man was exactly that now. He would be sixteen soon and would be of an eligible age to be married in the wizarding world. Most people only started considering offers for their children around that age with the actual marriages taking place after they had finished their education at Hogwarts. Now that he had seen his sons, and even though he had not spent much time with them, he knew he would do everything in his power to insure that Harry never even considered anyone else as a romantic partner!

Severus and Lucius looked up as Voldemort entered the room and seated himself.

"You have heirs." Lucius recapped.

"With Potter." Severus added, still dumbfounded.

"Who is a Dark Elf." Lucius finished.

Voldemort snorted. "I knew I chose the two of you as my top men for a reason." He said sarcasm dripping from his voice.

The two men flushed slightly, but ignored the insult. "So what do we do now my Lord?"

"We continue on as planned of course, especially in regards to the Ministry and Dumbledore. Severus you will need to do some research into the accident and see how we can return the children to their time. I don't want them to go back right away, but it will be necessary so as not to upset events too much. You had better start now though since it might take a while before you work everything out." Voldemort stated.

"Of course, My Lord."

"What about Potter?" Lucius inquired, wincing as he realized he might have overstepped his bounds.

Voldemort hummed quietly. "We need to find some way to get him to the manor for the rest of the summer and without alerting the Order. I imagine it will take at least that long to convince him I mean him no harm now and that the children are real and not my plot to remove him from the war."

"How do we know where to find him? I could inquire at Hogwarts, but Dumbledore would definitely find it suspicious if I am the one asking." Severus asked.

"Would the boys know? After all they did seem to know quite a lot of information." Lucius chimed in.

"That would be the easiest route if they did know. If not, Severus I would have you _Legilimens_ one of the younger Order children. Possibly the Weasley children." Voldemort ordered.

"Yes, My Lord. I imagine Ronald Weasley would be the best choice. It would be simple to read his mind without him noticing." Severus snorted, the boy was a poor excuse for a wizard.

"Severus, you will come with me when we go to Potter's house. He might feel better if he sees you, especially since he thinks you are a spy for Dumbledore. Lucius, have your wife ready at the manor for when we return. If the young man has been living with Muggles then I want him completely checked over. After hearing what Dumbledore has done with his manipulations I would imagine Potter's overall health was a low priority." Voldemort ordered. "Also Lucius, I'll have the children stay with you and your wife while we retrieve Potter. Remember – if anything happens to them I will kill you."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Good. We will leave after lunch Severus. You are dismissed." He ordered and the two men bowed slightly before leaving the study.

Voldemort stayed for a few minutes longer mind awhirl with the day's surprising events. Snorting to himself he stood up and headed for his wing.

Quietly, he opened the door to the boys' room and stood in the doorway for a few moments just watching them sleep. Again he felt that overwhelming feeling of joy and possessiveness that welled up inside him.

For the longest time, he had been convinced that emotions were a weakness and removing them from his life would make it that much easier to attain his goals without worrying about what methods he used to achieve those goals. Now he realized he had been foolish. His sons were a living reminder of the world he wanted to create and, for them, he knew he would do anything to make it a reality. He wanted to create a Wizarding World in which he could raise a family. Voldemort knew he was a Dark Lord and would remain that way. He wasn't going to become another Dumbledore spouting off empty platitudes and pretending to want the best for everyone. No, he had no hesitation about using violence to enact change, but he also knew that he would be more selective in how and when he employed those methods.

His sons hadn't even been in his life for more than a day and look at the change they had inspired!

* * *

A/n: Thank you for the lovely reviews and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

_Previously:_

 _Quietly, he opened the door to the boys' room and stood in the doorway for a few moments just watching them sleep. Again, he felt that overwhelming feeling of joy and possessiveness that welled up inside him._

 _For the longest time, he had been convinced that emotions were a weakness and removing them from his life would make it that much easier to attain his goals without worrying about what methods he used to achieve those goals. Now he realized he had been foolish. His sons were a living reminder of the world he wanted to create for them and he knew he would do anything to make it a reality. He wanted to create a Wizarding World in which he could raise a family. Voldemort knew he was a Dark Lord and would remain that way. He wasn't going to become another Dumbledore spouting off empty platitudes and pretending to want the best for everyone. No, he had no hesitation about using violence to enact change, but he also knew that he would be more selective in how and when he employed those methods._

 _His sons hadn't even been in his life for more than a day and look at the change they had inspired!_

* * *

Voldemort sat at the head of the dining table. His sons were seated around the table dressed in robes he had shrunk for them. After he brought Harry to the manor Voldemort would see to getting them all proper clothing. The boys were excitedly digging in to the enormous lunch that his ecstatic house elves had provided. These House Elves had always belonged to the Slytherin line and were overjoyed to have not only a Master again, but also Little Masters. Voldemort dreaded to see how they would react to the news that there would soon be a Slytherin Consort residing in the manor as well.

Aray was excitedly speaking to Severus about potions. Voldemort could tell Severus had been won over with that (albeit grudgingly – the boy was part Potter and miracles didn't happen overnight), but he carried on the conversation with more enthusiasm than Severus had ever demonstrated.

Aeron was discussing current politics with Lucius. Voldemort smirked. This was definitely his son and heir! He shifted his gaze to his youngest. This one was going to be an amazing charmer when he grew up. Voldemort had summoned the Lestrange brothers as he felt the two men would be the best guards for his family as well as the easiest for Harry to get used to. Both Rodolphus and Rabastan were helping Dewi with getting all of the food he wanted and actively participating in the cheerful conversation he kept up.

He had no doubts that these members of his Inner Circle would be dedicated to his family and would defend them fiercely.

Glancing at the clock, Voldemort sighed as he realized he would have to break up this happy gathering so that he and Severus had time to observe Number 4 Privet Drive before retrieving Harry.

* * *

Sixteen year old Harry James Potter, soon-to-be Sixth Year student at Hogwarts School of Magic, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, lay curled on a thin, dirty mattress in the Cupboard under the Stairs.

He was dying.

That was a fact. He could feel the blood steadily oozing from his body out of the numerous wounds inflicted on him courtesy of his dear, loving uncle. Harry could only laugh internally at the thought. _My so-called uncle would have been happier if I had died along with my drunk of a father and whore of a mother_ Harry thought to himself.

Harry pressed a hand to the knife wound in his side futilely trying to stem the steady flow of blood. His magic was frantically trying to heal the wounds, but he didn't think it would succeed in time. _The wards Professor Dumbledore has around the house should have alerted him to what the Dursley's had done. I just have to hang on a little while longer. The Order guards should be here any minute. Professor Dumbledore will be here any second._

Harry strained his ears as much as possible, but could detect no sound in Number 4 Privet Drive. There were no sounds of Apparition, no _Alohamora_ shouted flinging open the cupboard door. There was only silence and the furious beating of his heart.

 _They aren't coming, are they?_

And something died within Harry Potter.

With the acceptance of his impending death, Harry James Potter turned a surprisingly clear mind back on the measly 15 years of his life. For the first time he could truly see the Dursley's deplorable actions or lack thereof in regards to his childhood. He no longer felt the shame that had always shrouded his early memories. The shame that he was the son of a drunk and a whore. The shame of being a Freak and a delinquent that no one in the neighborhood liked or trusted. The shame of a wizard being beaten by muggles.

He could see that Hagrid was picked to be his first contact with the Wizarding world because the half-giant was so indebted to Albus Dumbledore that he had molded Harry's first impressions to fall in line with what Dumbledore believed. He saw the arrogance of Draco Malfoy for the nervous child trying to make a friend for what it truly was. He saw how desperately he had latched onto Ron Weasley as the first friend he had made in his life who didn't think he was a freak or a juvenile delinquent. Saw how he fought so hard to talk the Sorting Hat out of putting him in Slytherin House when he himself was the epitome of what the house represented. For the first time in his life he could see the subtle manipulations in his life for what they were. Albus Dumbledore's way of molding him into the beacon of hope for the Light side, into the perfect weapon that would sacrifice himself without a thought, without knowing he was only a weapon.

 _Mum, Dad. Guess I will get to finally see you._

Lord Voldemort and Severus Snape Apparated behind a small copse of trees in a park on Privet Drive. Quickly, they cast Notice-Me-Nots and Muggle repelling charms on themselves before situating themselves across the street from Number 4 Privet Drive.

The two silently observed the activities of the house's Muggle residents without catching sight of the reason they were here. Both men though were horrified at the human whales and horse that lived in the house. Voldemort couldn't believe that Harry Potter had any relation to this miserable excuse of a family. Severus sneered as he realized that Petunia hadn't changed a whit since they were children.

Finally, around dinner time, the despicable family left the house and Voldemort narrowed his eyes as the father boasted loudly about teaching that 'waste of space' a lesson.

As soon as the car had disappeared around the corner, the two men approached the driveway.

"Can you feel the wards, My Lord?" Snape questioned.

The crimson eyes of the Dark Lord narrowed in concentration. "Yes, but for some reason I had imagined them to be more extensive than they are." He commented.

Snape glanced at the man beside him. "What do you mean? Dumbledore bragged about how the wards on Potter's residence were impenetrable."

Voldemort cast a couple of non-verbal spells at the house and narrowed his eyes further. "The only wards here are to prevent entrance to those with the Dark Mark and a blood ward tied to those of Evans descent preventing anyone who wishes them harm from entering the property. There isn't even an anti-portkey ward!" he stated, slightly shocked. He had expected Dumbledore to see that his weapon was better protected than this. "Since I used Potter's blood during my resurrection, I wonder if the wards will even attempt to stop me?" He mused before crossing the ward line onto the Dursley's property.

"My Lord?"

"Nothing, Severus. Not a twinge from the wards to deny me entrance. I've suppressed the anti-Dark Mark ward so that you may enter as well. I've also thrown up Silencing spells and one to cloak anything that would detect magic being cast in the house. It seems like Dumbledore set up something to alert him whenever magic was used in the vicinity of the house." Voldemort added.

The two Dark wizards quickly entered the mundane home and quietly examined the house. Severus sneered at the photos that covered the fireplace mantel before he studied them intently wondering why there was no sign of the house's most famous occupant.

Voldemort paused before he could draw Snape's attention and turned toward the hallway to the left of the living room, his attention caught by some tiny sound. Severus followed his Lord, wand at the ready, to stand at the door to a cupboard under the stairs.

 _No._

" _Alohamora_ ".

Avada Kevadra green eyes, that no longer held defiance, stared at them from the tiny storage closet. Snape sucked in a breath, shocked, the Dark Lord just as stunned. Neither were sure what they expected when entering Number 4, but certainly not this. Never this.

And Harry Potter simply smiled tiredly at them. "I'm so glad you've come to kill me."

Harry closed his eyes, finally at peace, when the Dark Lord raised his wand.

* * *

Tom Marvolo Riddle, Lord Voldemort, Heir to Salazar Slytherin, studied the amber colored Fire Whiskey in his glass, but did not consume it. He was confused and he did not appreciate being in such a state.

And it was all Potter's fault!

Of course considering what he knew now perhaps it should be Dumbledore's fault. Voldemort nodded decisively, yes, this whole chain of events started with Albus bloody Dumbledore, but now that he knew most everything, it would not end as the delusional Headmaster intended.

Voldemort looked up sharply as the door opened, but relaxed when the heads of his three children popped into the room. His sharp crimson eyes warmed instantly as he beckoned the frightened boys to his side. They instantly raced across the room and threw themselves on to the couch beside him.

"Papa, is daddy going to be okay?" 4 year old Dewi asked, his green eyes shining with tears.

"Don't worry Dewi. Aunt Cissa will make daddy better." Aray comforted his little brother while the oldest watched their papa for answers.

"Yes, my sons your daddy will be fine. He is hurt right now, but between Narcissa's Healing abilities and Severus's Potions he will be back to normal in no time." Voldemort said, hugging the two younger boys to his side. The four settled down to wait for a report from Narcissa Malfoy, one of the Dark sect's most talented Healers.

Voldemort stared at the three boys who were seeking comfort from him. Him, the most feared Dark Lord in recent history! He knew with a bone deep certainty that reabsorbing his Horcruxes was the best choice to make, as close to a clean slate as was possible for him. He shuddered to think of what atrocious actions he would have committed if he hadn't reunited with his soul fragments. But the return of such strong, positive emotions was unnerving for the Dark Lord who had ruthlessly suppressed such things as a survival tactic in the orphanage. He felt off-kilter, off-center, off-balance since the day of the ritual. He was adjusting as quickly as possible, but looking at the boys to whom he was offering comfort reminded him of how far he had come.

Four heads turned towards the door as Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape entered the room.

Narcissa had taken the time to wash up and change her robes, but there were signs of exhaustion in her aristocratic features and her hair was in disarray. Most of those who were not affiliated with the Dark sect thought of her as a spoiled and snobbish Pureblood – an example of everything "wrong" with the supposedly stagnant Pureblood culture, at least according to Dumbledore supporters. While this was certainly a public image that Narcissa projected, those that knew her best understood that she was first and foremost a Healer. She would never work at St. Mungo's, but she had served as the personal Healer to the Dark Lord, as well as the healer for the adults and children in their close social circle. She was a very powerful witch, but chose not to flaunt those skills in public.

Lucius quickly handed his wife a tall glass of water which she quickly drained before accepting the plate of food he offered her. Once she took the dish he stood supportively next to her chair.

Severus Snape looked just as worn out as Narcissa, but for different reasons. Although physically tired from having to quickly brew an enormous quantity of healing potions, that wasn't the main cause of his exhaustion. No, the real source of his exhaustion was mental and emotional in nature. Severus Snape was a spy. At first he had genuinely regretted accepting the Dark Mark when the Potters (or more specifically Lily) was targeted as the subject of the Prophecy by the Dark Lord who had started to descend into madness. However, working for Albus Dumbledore had shown him the manipulations and underhanded tricks the esteemed Headmaster was willing to employ for the sake of the Greater Good. Over the years the Dark Lord remained vanquished, Severus had resigned himself to remaining under the Headmaster's twinkling stare for the remainder of his life or at least until the Dark Lord was permanently destroyed. It was only within the last month that Severus felt he had the chance to honor the Unbreakable Vow he took to protect Harry Potter and see the Dark Sect, in which he had always believed, triumph. Unfortunately, these past few hours had completely shattered a great many things he had believed in. These revelations made him wonder whether Albus Dumbledore was actually more of a monster than even the previously insane Dark Lord.

"Well, what's the report?" The Dark Lord demanded, breaking the silence that had settled over the room for the last few minutes.

"My apologies My Lord," Narcissa began setting her plate aside, "Mr. Potter is currently in a healing coma and will remain there for the next two days. I felt it best that he had the chance to rest so that Severus's potions could undo a lot of the damage that had been done to his body."

Voldemort winced not liking how this report was starting.

"The most immediate concern was stemming the blood loss that occurred due to the major knife wound and ensuring that there was no internal damage. Once that was under control I cast a diagnostic spell to see what else I needed to heal. Mr. Potter has been malnourished since he was about 3 years old. He is an extremely powerful wizard as a great deal of his magical core was focused on preventing the most severe symptoms of malnutrition though unfortunately his maximum height will be 5'7". I stopped counting after finding 10 improperly healed bone breaks, all before the age of 11, and there were large welts on his back that looked to be from a belt. I'm surprised he has been able to see at all based on the bad prescription he has worn since the day he first needed glasses." Narcissa stated.

Rage rose within Voldemort at Narcissa's words. Those pathetic excuses for humans would pay for what they did to a wizarding child!

"He's also never had any of the standard Muggle vaccinations let alone the ones Muggleborns receive their first week at Hogwarts."

"Mr. Potter still has traces of Basilisk venom and Phoenix tears in his blood from his second year when he killed the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets with only a sword and Fawkes!" Severus added, his voice rising in anger at the end. "A basilisk let loose in the school and Dumbledore allows a 12 year old to face it and all the help he provides is a sword, which the boy had never used before, and a bird!" Severus muttered viciously.

Voldemort ignored Severus's rantings. So that would explain what happened to his Diary Horcrux. When Lucius placed it in the youngest Weasley's things, the Horcrux must have been able to drain energy from her allowing it to open the Chamber of Secrets and set the basilisk on the unsuspecting school. To be fair it was one of his more idiotic moves although he couldn't believe a wizarding-raised child, even a blood traitor like a Weasley, didn't have enough sense to report an object that could communicate with her on its own. The vast majority of such objects were Dark in nature and were not intended for nice purposes. Clearly this was another example of why things needed to change in Great Britain. He was sure none of his followers' children would do such a thing!

"He also has a nasty scar on his right hand created by repeated use of a Blood Quill." Severus finished.

"A blood quill?" Lucius asked, horrified. "No one should be using such an object in Hogwarts let alone on the students!"

"I'm almost positive that would be the doing of Dolores Umbridge, the woman Fudge installed as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this past school year. Draco complained that they weren't learning anything in the class although she did have it out for the Gryffindors."

"She did give out a lot of detentions with Potter serving an exorbitant amount." Severus added. "If he said anything to anyone, which I doubt, he would have spoken to Minerva or Dumbledore. If he did tell either of them then they either brushed off the accusation which I wouldn't put past Minerva, or he was told to deal with it, as manipulatively as possible, from Dumbledore."

"What needs to be done to heal him?" Voldemort asked hugging the two youngest boys closer as he felt their bodies shaking in fear for their daddy.

"Like I mentioned earlier I put him into a Healing coma so that Severus's potions could work on healing the physical damages from the scarring, bone breaks, and start reversing some of the malnutrition. He'll need to continue taking a Nutrient potion for at least a month before I can see what else will need to be done. Overall, the physical healing won't be too difficult." Narcissa said, picking up the tea cup that appeared at her side.

Voldemort was momentarily filled with dread. "What else is there?" He questioned hearing the "but" in her words.

"What I'm really worried about are the spells and charms that have been cast on him. I'll need your assistance in determining the best way to break them without causing too much of a shock to Mr. Potter's magical core." Narcissa began.

"Spells and charms?" Lucius asked alarmed, "When were they cast on him and how long have they been there? Everyone knows you can't use cast too many spells on a child below the age of 11. Who knows what kind of side effects they will have on the development of his magical core."

Voldemort pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't think anything else he heard would surprise him. Seriously, even insane and _Crucio-_ happy he didn't think he was as much as a monster as the great Albus Dumbledore was turning out to be.

"If the young Lords hadn't mentioned Mr. Potter came into his inheritance as a Dark Elf I wouldn't have noticed these spells simply because the majority of witches and wizards are not strong enough to manifest creature inheritances." Narcissa began, "I would estimate about ½ of his magical core has been bound since the death of his parents. If it stays bound until his 17th birthday he won't be strong enough to activate the inheritance or if he does, he might not have enough strength to survive it."

Lucius and Voldemort inhaled in shock. To purebloods and many halfbloods, a creature inheritance was considered not only a great honor, but would help solidify alliances among other families, furthering the prestige of a noble house, to say nothing of the boost in magical abilities the individual would receive. This was bad enough, but binding someone's magic? That was only done to the vilest of criminals or for someone who was so mentally unstable that their magic was a danger to themselves and others. Potter was incredibly lucky that he was so magically strong otherwise he might actually have become a squib.

Severus couldn't believe that Dumbledore had risked such a move. Even if he only wanted to prevent Harry from coming into his Dark Elf heritage why hadn't he waited until Harry was older? With the trust Dumbledore had built between the two of them it wouldn't have been difficult for Dumbledore to cast the binding spells and _Obliviate_ him before he knew what had happened. How could Dumbledore have been so confident that Harry wouldn't suffer any side effects of a binding that would render him useless as a Savior of the Light Side?

"What else?" Voldemort ground out, teeth clenched in anger.

"He has a behavior modification spell set on him. As far as I can tell this is to emphasize certain behavioral traits to their extreme rather than his natural tendencies towards those behaviors. We won't know for certain what traits those are until we break the spell, but I am going to assume Dumbledore would want to play up characteristics that enhance his resemblance to James Potter including acting without thought as well as his hero complex." Narcissa continued.

"He also had an ever-present compulsion to continually trust Dumbledore which explains why he has never questioned anything the man has said. There's also a very specific and low-level charm that is similar to a _Confundus_ charm. It prevents him from focusing very well on his studies except for DADA which isn't surprising since he is supposed to be the Chosen One." Severus continued.

"We're going to have to be very careful around him for the first month or so after we remove all of these spells. Not only because he will have access to even more magic and isn't used to controlling it, but also in terms of his mental health. What the children told us is enough to cause considerable mental turmoil to anyone and Mr. Potter will have to cope with the knowledge that his behavior wasn't necessarily his. This will also be an adjustment for him as he tries to get a feel for his identity and how he wants to react to various situations rather than having those reactions chosen for him." Narcissa warned them. "We are going to have to be very delicate while we break this news to him because if we overwhelm him it could cause him to suffer a mental breakdown."

Voldemort closed his eyes. He had known it would be an uphill battle to try and get Harry to understand that he didn't intend to kill him anymore. He was still having trouble processing all that his sons had told him and he didn't think Potter would be any quicker to accept the information either. Now he also had to worry about how the young man was going to process this latest bombshell! Actually, Voldemort wasn't sure how he would process this!

"Are you going to make sure Daddy will be okay?" Aray asked, scared. Even his oldest son looked worried.

"Yes, my children. It may take some time and I will need your help, but I will make sure your daddy will be fine." Voldemort assured both the children and himself. "Your aunts and uncles will help me as well."

"Can we sleep with daddy tonight?" Dewi asked looking up at his papa with big green eyes.

Voldemort sighed. He had no willpower to resist those eyes. He dreaded the moment when both Harry and Dewi would turn those eyes on him. "Yes, you can, but we will have to make certain you don't accidentally hit your daddy during the night." Voldemort said, standing up with Dewi in his arms. "Come let us get you changed then we'll make sure all four of you are comfortable."

"Don't worry papa! We'll hug daddy until he gets better." Dewi assured him confidently.

"I have no doubt that you will." Voldemort responded even as Narcissa, Lucius and Severus chuckled softly. "I have no doubt that you will."

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please read and review.

A/N 2: I don't have a beta so any errors are all mine!

A/N 3: Also I own nothing in this story.


	4. Chapter 4

Heirs to the Dark – Chapter 4

 _"Are you going to make sure Daddy will be okay?" Aeron asked, scared. Even his oldest son looked worried._

 _"Yes, my children. It may take some time and I will need your help, but I will make sure your daddy will be fine." Voldemort assured both the children and himself. "Your aunts and uncles will help me as well."_

 _"Can we sleep with daddy tonight?" Dewi asked looking up at his papa with big green eyes._

 _Voldemort sighed. He had no willpower to resist those eyes. He dreaded the moment when both Harry and Dewi would turn those eyes on him. "Yes, you can, but we will have to make certain you don't accidentally hit your daddy during the night." Voldemort said, standing up with Dewi in his arms. "Come let us get you changed then we'll make sure all four of you are comfortable."_

 _"Don't worry papa! We'll hug daddy until he gets better." Dewi assured him confidently._

 _"I have no doubt that you will." Voldemort responded even as Narcissa, Lucius and Severus chuckled softly. "I have no doubt that you will."_

Harry slowly opened his eyes. He immediately had to close them as they reacted to the bright sunlight that filled the spacious room he was in.

 _That's odd. Wasn't I in my cupboard earlier?_

Harry let his gaze wander the room he was in. Large French windows framed by gauzy white curtains stood open to let in lots of sunlight and cooling breeze. A window seat looked like it would be a comfortable place to curl up with a book and take advantage of the light and air. The room was painted a seafoam green and the four poster bed he was laying in had sheer gauzy curtains and slightly darker green bedsheets. Although he had never had them, Harry was pretty sure the sheets were silk. A huge distressed white armoire stood in the corner next to a door that he was ajar enough to see that it led a bathroom. To his right was a nightstand and bookshelf which matched the armoire. Next to the door that led out of the room was a full length mirror. If he lifted his head slightly he could see a large steamer trunk at the foot of the bed. All in all it was the most beautiful room he had seen since entering the wizarding world.

Harry tried to sit up in the bed, so he wasn't as vulnerable, but a sharp pain in his side halted any movement. He lifted the blanket and noticed his midsection was wrapped in bandages. Although his side ached from his recent movements, Harry paused as he realized that he could no longer feel the ever present bone deep _ache_ in his body.

 _I am so confused._

Harry struggled to remember the events that had led to his occupancy of the room, but he couldn't keep his eyes open and he was so _tired._

Low afternoon sunlight awakened Harry for the second time. Physically, he felt a lot better than he did the first time he awoke. He was still wrapped in bandages, but his side didn't give off sharp pains at the slightest movement. Mentally though.

Harry frowned as he let himself drift in his own thoughts. The best way to describe how his mind felt was as though it was a person who had always operated in a fog enshrouded world, seeing just far enough ahead to prevent himself from fatally harming himself by accident, and basing his actions on the little that he could clearly see around himself. Now, now he felt as though the fog was swept away by strong winds and he could see for miles around. His mind suddenly felt as though it had been released from a windowless prison.

Before he could ponder too deeply on the changes something shifted against his side. He froze before slowly turning his head to examine his bedmate.

Harry found himself looking in to his own jewel-like _Avada Kedavra_ eyes set in a face that called to mind the young Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets, but the bright _happy_ smile didn't fit the image of the young cold blooded killer he recalled. _What the?_

"Daddy! You're awake!" The little boy cried out, latching his arms around Harry.

 _Daddy? Him? What kind of weird dream in a dream was this?_

"Daddy, you were sweepin' for so looong that I was 'fraid you'd never wake up!" the boy exclaimed and Harry lost his heart.

He didn't know where he was or how he got there, but Harry Potter was in love with this nameless little boy.

Harry smiled down at the child. "I'm sorry I was sleeping for so long that I worried you little one. What's your name?"

The boy beamed up at his daddy. "I'm Dewi and I'm 4 and I missed you so much and now that you're 'wake we can be a family again! Can we read a story right now?"

Harry blinked.

Someone chuckled from the doorway.

Harry tensed as he tightened his arm protectively around the little boy as he looked towards the doorway.

Severus Snape, his Potions professor stood in the doorway. He stared at the man trying to figure out if the man's presence meant he was back at Order Headquarters (based on the room he didn't think he was) or whether he had been captured by Death Eaters (far more likely but shouldn't he have been in the dungeons?).

"Come little Lord. Why don't you go with Uncle Rabastan while I speak with your daddy?" The man said gently, affection for the boy obvious.

Harry was confused as the way Snape was acting towards the little boy (obviously a Potter!) was out of character with the man in his memories. He moved to prevent Dewi from leaving, but the boy was already standing on the floor.

"Okay Uncle Sev. Bye daddy! I'll come see you later!" The boy giggled as he raced out of the room in search of Uncle Rabastan.

 _Surely Snape didn't mean Rabastan Lestrange?_

Harry frowned as Snape conjured a comfortable armchair for himself across from where Harry was sitting in the bed. He remembered that the two of them had an antagonistic relationship, but for the life of him, he couldn't dredge up those feelings now.

Snape sat in silence for a few minutes almost seeming to gather up the courage for what he was about to say. "I'm sorry, Pot-Harry."

Harry stared, not sure what to say in reply. Finally, "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry that I let my hatred for your father cloud my judgement and let me ignore the warning signs that I would have spotted in any other student. You were the son of a Potter and Dumbledore's Golden Boy and I both chose to ignore the signs of abuse and simultaneously believed that Dumbledore would never have let anything bad happen to you."

Silence. "You saw the Dursleys then?"

"Yes."

A wave of shame rose up within him. He had never wanted anyone to know what his life with the Dursleys was like.

"It is not your fault Harry. None of this was your fault." Snape reassured. Then he began to tell Harry everything, beginning from the Dark Lord's rebirth to the potions accident, the arrival of the three children, the visit to Number 4 Privet Drive, and the healing results.

Throughout the whole tale Harry never said a word and Snape kept watching him as though he were expecting some kind of reaction, mostly one involving yelling and disbelief.

Darkness had fallen outside the windows when Snape finally finished talking and still Harry hadn't said a word.

Snape hesitated, wanting to say something, anything that would break this unnatural silence. In the 5 years he had known the young man, Severus had never seen Harry remain this quiet in the face of such life altering news without at least showing some kind of emotion, and this unnerved him.

A House Elf popped into the room carrying a tray with Harry's dinner and placed it on the nightstand.

"Eat your dinner, Pot- Harry. We can continue talking about this in the morning." Snape said, relieved he had a reason to leave. "Just call for Tipsy if you need anything. Good night."

Snape quickly walked out of the room, relieved to be away from the suffocating silence.

Harry continued to stare at his hands and didn't touch his dinner.

"Well?" Voldemort demanded as soon as Snape walked into the room. Narcissa, Lucius, Rabastan, and Rodulphus looked on, just as eagerly awaiting an answer.

Severus sat down on the empty arm chair and ran a hand through his hair. Dewi climbed into his Uncle's lap. "Well it went both better and worse than I thought." He began.

"What do you mean?" the Dark Lord demanded, agitated at not knowing how Harry took the revelations.

"I was prepared for him to yell, shout, or try and attack me at some point while I was explaining. At the very least I expected him to deny everything or defend Dumbledore, but he just sat and stared at me without saying a word the entire time. If I hadn't seen him earlier speaking with Dewi, I would have assumed I was talking to the victim of a Dementor's Kiss." Severus explained, shivering slightly as he remembered the blank stare Harry had given him. He had lost his balance when it came to dealing with the young man, he could no longer justify (even if only to himself) the hatred with which he had previously treated Harry. He knew how he would treat his Lord's Consort (once Harry accepted the position), but how to act with a Harry Potter he knew nothing about?

"I'm not surprised he didn't react at all." Narcissa stated as the other men turned to look at her questioningly. "This is what I was afraid of when I discovered the behavior modification spell. Mr. Potter has his memories of how he reacted in previous situations and knows how he should act according to how the Light-oriented people he was surrounded with approved. Now, however, he will be unsure of how to act as he will have to decide on his own, and without magic induced direction, how to react in any given situation. He has grown up with the spell on and has never had to process his own feelings. He will also be trying to adjust to his new mental clarity rather than letting others do the thinking since the other spells prevented the full use of his mental faculties." Narcissa continued. "Again, we are going to have to watch our step around him although it was probably a good thing we told him everything now instead of later."

"Why?" Rabastan asked.

"Wouldn't it have been better to wait until he was in full control of himself before we sprung more revelations on him?" Rodolphus clarified.

"No. If we hadn't told him everything now it would have been very easy for him to decide that he would continue to hang on to the emotional patterns he had before we broke the spells as it would be easier than having to relearn everything. Also since Dumbledore has had an inordinate amount of influence in Harry's life it would have been too easy for him to keep believing blindly in what Dumbledore taught him. Then once we explained about Dumbledore's manipulations he would have defended his mentor with everything in him rather than being open to the possibility that Dumbledore was using him as a puppet." Narcissa explained.

"So you think because we told him everything now and can feel the difference without all of the spells on him, he will be more likely to side with us?" Lucius questioned his wife.

"It is definitely a possibility."

"So how should we go about this then?" Voldemort questioned.

"He seemed to be rather protective over Dewi when I entered the room." Severus stated. "Perhaps it would be best if he spent the most time with the boys."

"If I present myself as a Healer first rather than your supporter my Lord, and answer any questions about the spells that were cast on him, he might adjust faster as well." Narcissa added.

"I'm still a familiar face and it would be easier for us to settle into a new pattern of behavior instead of our mutual hatred." Severus added.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "So you are saying I should make myself scarce around Harry."

"Just for the time being. It would be better for Mr. Potter to seek you out himself so that he at least has the semblance of feeling in control." Narcissa hurried to explain.

"If he can reconcile all that has happened to him in the past few years then he will feel on solid ground again and will be willing to work with and discuss the mission and goals of the Dark Sect." Severus finished.

Aeron hugged him. "Don't worry Papa. Daddy loves you and knows that what the Light side did to him was wrong. He'll come around soon."

Voldemort smiled at his heir. "I suppose you are all right. I will concentrate on moving our plans forward while the rest of you work towards making sure Harry becomes comfortable with us."

Harry woke up and this time he didn't wonder where he was. He was in the Dark Lord's manor. Sitting up and letting the covers pool in his lap, he sighed. _Why do these things always happen to me?_

 _I feel empty – as if everything I ever knew, felt, and experience was erased. Is this what it feels like to be given a chance to start over?_

Harry frowned. _Do I even want to start over?_

 _Actually, how do I know this isn't just a plot by Voldemort to get me to betray the Light?_

Harry mulled this over. _No, Voldemort was able to bypass the wards around the Dursley's house. If he wanted me out of the picture it would have been so much easier to just kill me there. I even asked for him to do it._

Harry was spared further introspection by the sound of the door opening. Three black heads appeared in the doorway. "Good morning Daddy!" Dewi exclaimed racing towards him.

Harry smiled. The brilliant grin of the little boy was a better antidote to the empty feeling inside of him than any potion or spell could be.

"Good morning little one." Harry returned the greeting as he helped the little one on to the bed.

"We brought you bweakfast." Dewi said, snuggling into Harry's side as the other two boys approached the bed, four trays laden with food floated behind them.

Harry helped the other two onto the bed. The resemblance between all of them was so strong. Harry felt his heart swell with joy and love. A family! He didn't have time to process it yesterday as Dewi hadn't been in the room for too long before Snape entered. Somehow he had a family. He didn't know how that happened, especially as their mother clearly wasn't Ginny Weasley like he expected. Harry stopped himself. Why would he think Ginny would be their mother? Ginny was practically his sister! He certainly didn't see her as a romantic prospect as that would feel too much like incest.

"Daddy is everything alright?" The oldest boy asked looking at him concerned.

Harry shook his head. "Sorry. I was just letting my thoughts wander. What's your name?"

"I'm Aeron and I'm 9 years old."

"I'm Aray and I'm 7 years old." The other boy introduced.

"I'm 4!" Dewi piped up not wanting to be left out.

Harry smiled as he hugged the little one close and carefully placed a hand on Aray's head, smiling wider when the boy leaned into him.

"Now, why don't we dig into breakfast before it gets cold." Harry said laughing as the statement was met with enthusiastic replies.

Harry listened to the boys chattering with each other and offered an opinion whenever he was asked. Mostly, however, he soaked up the ambiance of _family._ This, this was what he had craved his entire life. A family that belonged to him and him alone. A family where he didn't feel that he was intruding or one that might vanish if he said or did the wrong thing.

"Daddy, I think we're all done." Aray said, pulling Harry from his thoughts.

"I guess we are. Well, time to get cleaned up." Harry said. "Tipsy?" He called out, remembering Snape telling him to ask for the House Elf if he needed anything.

"Master be calling Tipsy?" the female asked, big eyes staring up at Harry.

"Can you bring clothes for the children and myself?" Harry asked.

"Master's clothes be in the wardrobe, but Tipsy bes bringing clothes for the Little Masters." With a snap of her fingers both she and the dirty dishes vanished.

"Come on time to get clean." Harry said ushering the boys of the bed and towards the door he presumed led to the bathroom. Giggling, the boys raced each other to the door.

Harry couldn't stop smiling as he grabbed the first clean clothes he could find.

"Daddy look! There are toys we can play with in the bathtub!" Dewi exclaimed finding the pirate ships that were neatly stacked in a basket by the enormous bathtub.

Harry had to stop and stare. The bathtub was easily big enough to comfortably fit four grown adults. There was a separate glass shower and the walls were the same seafoam green as the bedroom. Thick fluffy towels were stacked on a shelf and a closet held all of the essentials.

"Daddy!" Harry shook himself out of his stupor and hurried to join the boys who were already in the bathtub. He picked up the toys and the four of them had a blast playing pirates versus the navy.

Harry couldn't remember the last time he had ever done something so childish.

Finally, once they were starting to resemble prunes and the water was lukewarm at best, Harry ushered everyone out of the tub and into clean clothing.

Harry stared at the elegant Lady Narcissa Malfoy as they sat facing each other. He and the boys had played Exploding Snap and eaten lunch together before they were interrupted by the arrival of Professor Snape and Lady Malfoy. The boys had hugged him before trailing trustingly after their "Uncle Sev". Harry's head was still reeling with the knowledge that not only did the kids have no fear of the acerbic man, but that they called him a shortened version of his name _and were not hexed for it!_

 _Maybe I'd better make sure all their body parts are in the correct places and not in a potion somewhere._

Harry shook his head. There would be time to worry about an impending Apocalypse later, now he had to focus on what Lady Malfoy was saying.

Narcissa smiled lightly as she recaptured their Lord's future Consort's wandering attention. "Mr. Potter, what do you know about me?"

Harry narrowed his eyes slightly wondering if this was a trick question. "You're Draco Malfoy's mother and wife to Lucius Malfoy."

"True, but I am also a fully trained and qualified Healer."

Harry looked surprised. He had a hard time picturing the elegant lady in front of him tending to the sick and injured.

"Not many people, especially those on the Light side, cared to see beyond the cold public exterior we presented. As the personal Healer to the Dark Lord, I was here when you were first brought back to the Manor." Narcissa began.

Harry glanced down in shame. How many people knew about the Dursleys?

He looked back up at the soft touch on his hand. "What those animals did to you was a grievous offense. No one in the wizarding world would have ever abused a magical child in such a manner. I only wish it was possible to place Muggles in Azkaban." Narcissa said fiercely.

Harry was surprised. After having Dumbledore brush off his requests to remain anywhere than at the Dursleys and the Weasleys' nonchalance about his living situation, he didn't think anyone in the wizarding world would actually be outraged by his treatment at the hands of the Dursleys.

"Unfortunately, what was done has been done. Now let me go over the results of your medical scan and talk about what we are going to do to reverse the damage."

Harry lay in bed later that night, unable to sleep. His mind was awhirl with everything Narcissa had gone over with him.

 _A Dark Elf_.

He had certainly never heard of any other magical race of Elves besides the House Elves which bore no resemblance to the Dark Elves. And on his 16th birthday he would become one.

What had Narcissa said? Oh right, creature inheritances usually occurred on an individual's 17th birthday, when his or her magical core fully matured and could handle on influx of powerful magics such as creature inheritances or latent abilities like wand-making, a natural talent in the Ollivander line for example. Although 17 was the usual age when someone's magical core matured, there were a small number of cases when a person's magical core matured earlier at 16 either through natural causes or urgent needs.

 _Narcissa thinks that I will come into my inheritance on my 16_ _th_ _birthday because of the strain of having my magic bound for so long and then the long term abuse at the hands of the Dursleys, but also because of the recent traumatic injury that had my magic pushing to keep me alive. I knew I would also be abnormal even among the wizarding world._

 _And yet_ ….

Harry lay a hand on his stomach. _And yet as a Dark Elf I can bear my own children. I can have a family of my own. One that I do not have to share and one that will not be forced to accept me because of an old man's scheming._

Harry fell asleep hand still on his stomach dreaming about a life with his family, at peace, for the first time, with recent events.

Maybe being a Freak among freaks wasn't such a bad thing.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it!

Thanks to Rori Potter, Fae0306, XxTaintedxDaggerxX, KelseyHeart, Rainbow2007, njferrell, PresentingComplicated, Guest, harryandginnyfan83, lizzyaml, Ichigo Mirai, Lavonya, cjab1234, RorschachinBlueJeans, ani, wildtrance, Secret, and tohru15 for the lovely reviews.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry quickly downed the potions that Sna-Severus had prescribed to him to help overcome the physical neglect and abuse. Honestly, he had never expected to refer to his least favorite professor by his first name, but these past few weeks the two of them had been having deep conversations that were allowing them to move beyond misconceptions. It was a hard adjustment for Harry to make, but it was one of the easier ones that Harry was having to deal with currently.

Harry stood up as he heard a knock on the door. Opening it he came face to face with the Lestrange brothers. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Harry. Do you want to sit outside for a while or would you rather go to the sitting room?" Rabastan asked.

Harry smiled. Severus had introduced Rabastan and Rodolphus to him a few days after he had woken up. Originally, he had been cautious around the two as he had heard rumors about the brothers from the older members of the Order. Harry was quickly warming up to the brothers as he found they were charming, funny, and patient with him and the many moods he was experiencing.

It had been a struggle to get them to use his first name rather than my Lord or even Mr. Potter.

Harry quickly glanced out the window. "I think I'd like to sit outside for a while." He replied.

Harry studied Rodolphus's back as the men escorted him through the Manor. The Order had mentioned the Lestrange brothers as loyal followers to the Dark Lord, quick to use very Dark spells against their victims, and enjoyed torture. Although he was slowly coming to terms with the fact that the Order was, at the very least, grossly exaggerating things. Yet the one topic he had a hard time reconciling was the fact that the brothers had participated in the torturing of Frank and Alice Longbottom which ended up with Neville's parents becoming long term patients of the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's for victims of spell damage.

He knew all of this intellectually, but the Lestrange brothers he had gotten to know recently were loyal, charming, funny, and willing to answer the basic questions Harry had felt comfortable broaching about the Dark Sect's goals and missions. And the answers they gave were precise, thought-provoking and never pressured him into agreeing with their perspective.

Harry sighed as he leaned against a tree trunk and watched the brothers lay out a blanket and Wizarding chess set. He was still feeling raw and unbalanced after having the spells removed and hearing about Dumbledore's treachery, but he couldn't use keep using that as an excuse. He would have to gather what remained of the Gryffindor courage he possessed and ask the hard questions. If he couldn't ask these relatively minor hard questions, he would never be able to fully come to terms with what had happened and what could happen.

"I have a question for you." Harry began, trying to find the best way to phrase this.

The brothers turned towards him seemingly understanding the serious nature of the conversation.

"The only things I heard about you two from the Order was that you were cold-blooded vicious killers who would sooner torture you than give you the time of day, or something along those lines. Obviously, after spending time here I've realized that isn't the case." Harry said.

The brothers waited patiently for him to continue, keeping all emotions from their faces.

"You were, however, arrested after torturing Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity leaving their son an orphan." Harry finished, waiting for the brothers to respond.

The two glanced warily at each other for a moment before looking at Harry.

"What do you know about Frank and Alice Longbottom?" Rabastan finally asked.

Harry frowned slightly. "They were both Aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix. Frank was in Hufflepuff at Hogwarts and I think Alice was in Gryffindor. That's really all I know about them."

Rodolphus nodded. "You're right. They were extremely competent and while not magically powerful were quite clever and used their strengths wisely to take out stronger opponents. At the time we respected them as opponents and tried our best to outwit them. Well, that changed one day when we met them during an attack on a key Order hideout. It started out as any other fight. Our side had the upper hand and Bellatrix had Frank cornered and increasingly on the defensive. Bellatrix would have won, but Frank unexpectedly cast an extremely Dark curse at her, which wouldn't have been odd except it was an _Auror_ using Dark magic, and Alice Longbottom suddenly overpowered her opponent and cast a Stunning spell at Bellatrix. Other Order members had begun to show up so Rabastan and I grabbed Bellatrix and Apparated away.

"We took Bellatrix to see Narcissa to get checked over and that's when we found out." Rabastan continued.

"What?" Harry asked, getting a bad feeling.

"Narcissa told us the spell had caused her to miscarry the child she was carrying. Neither Bellatrix nor myself even realized she was pregnant. The baby was only a month old at that point." Rodolphus finished staring at something over Harry's shoulder.

"That was bad in and of itself" Rabastan said, "but that wasn't the worst part. Somehow the Longbottoms found out about the child. The next time they saw us, I think it was at the Ministry or some other public place, Frank muttered under his breath 'That's one less baby Death Eater to worry about.'"

Harry sucked in a breath. Even if he was still firmly on Dumbledore's side he couldn't imagine rubbing metaphorical salt into a Death Eater's emotional wound in such a manner.

The brothers didn't continue after that and Harry didn't ask them to elaborate. There was nothing more to say.

* * *

After speaking with the Lestrange brothers, Harry didn't emerge from his room for two days. He lay on his back staring at the ceiling all day except when he slipped into a restless sleep, dreaming of monsters who weren't monsters and monsters that were trying to save him from falling into an abyss.

Logically he knew he was worrying the children, as all three of them took turns cuddling up next to him. The youngest fearful of Harry's lack of emotional response and the two older children who had some idea of his current situation and offering silent comfort.

And Harry remained lost in the darkness.

 _Who am I? Am I a lie?_

Voldemort interlaced his fingers and rested his elbows on his knees.

For a brief moment Voldemort had felt that things were finally moving his way. He had his looks and sanity restored, he was laying the foundation for the success of his campaign, he had heirs, and a consort.

And then Harry had slipped into some kind of depression (which Narcissa felt was normal), but worried both himself and the children.

He wasn't sure what he would do if Harry ultimately decided to stick to the relative safety of what he knew being the Light's Savior rather than undertake the strenuous task of determining his own personality, ideas, ideals, and goals. He hoped that Harry would give him a chance to explain his point of view before Harry made up his mind.

Voldemort sighed. There was no use in getting ahead of himself. Harry had not made a choice either way. There was still time.

 _What the-?_

Voldemort snapped his head up at the overwhelming waves of magic that were emanating from his private wing.

 _Harry!_

 _Who am I?_

Harry lay curled up on the bed in his room in the fetal position. He had no energy at all to move from the bed and really he was too busy battling the demons in his head to devote any energy to movement.

 _What do I know?_

 _I am the son of James and Lily Potter. I was born on July 31, 1980._

 _But who am I?_

This thought had been echoing in his mind for the past few days. His whole world had been upended and he wasn't sure he knew what was true and what was not.

Harry whimpered and burrowed himself deeper into the blankets. When Narcissa met with him to go over the results of the medical scan he had only allowed himself to focus on the news about his heritage as a Dark Elf and the fact that he could carry his own children.

Now, now he was focused on the rest of what Narcissa had to say.

Malnutrition which led to brittle bones and short height.

Badly healed bones.

Poor eyesight.

No vaccinations against Muggle or Wizarding diseases. As a half-blood who hadn't reached his magical majority he was extremely susceptible to both. That he hadn't been sick in 5 years in the Wizarding World was astonishing according to Narcissa.

A bound magical core preventing him from accessing his full potential.

So many spells that had been cast on him.

Behavior modification spells.

Spells limiting his ability to concentrate.

Compulsion spells.

Trust and loyalty spells.

So many spells.

 _Were any of my actions since I started Hogwarts my own? Was my lack of focus on my studies because of the spells or because I am not inclined to study?_

 _Was I a rule breaker because of my lack of trust in authority figures, an enhancement of my father's characteristics or my own penchant for mischief?_

 _Did I reject Draco Malfoy's hand in friendship because he reminded me of Dudley? Or was it that he insulted the first friend I made my own age? Or could I at least have given him a chance to prove that a first impression isn't the only impression a person can make?_

 _Would I have ended up in Slytherin because of the Dursley's abuse if I didn't have any spells cast on me? Or would I still have chosen Gryffindor because of what I knew about the Dark Lord and the prophecy?_

 _Would I have been able to make other friends if I was in another House? If I ended up in Slytherin would I have been the target of assassination attempts to avenge the defeat of the Dark Lord?_

So many questions.

 _Who am I?_

 _Light wizard? Dark wizard?_

 _Savior of the wizarding world? Chosen One? Boy-Who-Lived? Traitor to the Light?_

 _Boy-Who-Was-Jealous-of-Ron-Weasley? Freak?_

Harry was so tired of all of the questions reverberating through his mind. He just wanted answers, but were there any to be had?

"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it."

 _Dumbledore said that to me during the TriWizard Tournament._

Dumbledore.

 _Dumbledore was my mentor._

 _He left me with the Dursleys._

 _He rescued me._

 _He lied to me._

 _He helped me during my trial at the Ministry of Magic._

 _He bound my magic._

 _He cares for me like a grandson._

 _He never listened to my complaints about the Dursleys._

 _Did he ever care about me?_

 _Does anyone care about me?_

 _No one ever asked if I wanted to be the hero._

 _I NEVER WANTED TO BE A HERO!_

And his magic exploded.

* * *

Snape braced himself against the wall to keep his balance as the magic exploded. _Potter!_

Narcissa and the Dark Lord stumbled towards him. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure my Lord. I was just on my way to see if he had shaken off the funk he had descended into when I felt the magic explode outward." Severus said as they headed towards Harry's room.

"This is what I was worried about with the removal of the blocks on his magic and his current unsteady emotional situation. Mr. Potter's magic has always reacted to his emotions even before recent events. I just hope it won't grow out of control." Narcissa stated.

Neither man responded as they reached Harry's bedroom.

Snape gently pushed open the door and they stared at the gentle swirls of magic in the room. Harry lay on the bed, his magic making waves of iridescent green, gold, and blue around him.

His hair was slowly lengthening, his skin was taking on a golden hue, and his ears were starting to lengthen into a point.

"Whatever emotional upheaval he experienced and combined with the removal of the blocks on his magic was enough to trigger his inheritance." Narcissa gasped.

Voldemort frowned. "The children said he did not become a Dark Elf until his 17th birthday."

"True. But it is possible for a powerful magical child to come into his inheritance a year early, especially in situations of duress. I'll monitor his health from here to make sure his magic doesn't lash out at me." Narcissa said already casting a few diagnosis charms.

Voldemort frowned, but headed back to the sitting room. Aray looked up at him from where the three children were seated.

"Is daddy going to be okay?"

"Yes, he'll be alright." Voldemort said. His heart clenched as the boys looked at him trustingly. _Do I know how to be a good father?_

He didn't know how to answer that so he just seated himself on the couch with his children and waited for news.

* * *

Harry woke up slowly. His mind felt clear for the first time since he had arrived to the Dark Lord's manor and he finally felt like his emotions were under control again.

He took stock of his body and magic, and feeling better that than he had ever felt before, levered himself out of bed and into the bathroom.

Hopping into the shower, Harry spent a few blissful minutes under the hot water before quickly washing hair and body. And all the while something niggled at the back of his mind, an instinct that said there was something wrong.

As he toweled off, Harry happened to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. _What the?!_

Harry paused and turned his head back and forth. Then up and down. He backed away from the mirror and then stepped closer. _Huh. The face in the mirror is definitely mine. Just very, very different._

He studied himself and took stock of the changes that must have occurred after his emotional/magical outburst. The most obvious difference were his ears which were now taller and pointier. His black hair had gained a blue sheen to it if he tilted his head just right. His eyes were almond shaped and his pupils were elongated. The green of his eyes practically glowed while his eyelashes were thicker and longer.

His body was slender, but still toned from Quidditch, and sun-kissed gold while the scars that had crisscrossed his back and other body parts were completely gone.

"Well, I guess becoming a Dark Elf isn't too horrible." Harry said to his reflection. He finished dressing and then curled up on the window seat, staring outside.

Now that his mind felt sharper and his emotions were at least under control if not completely settled, Harry pondered the revelations Narcissa and Severus had heaped on him.

 _Okay – Voldemort regained his sanity through some kind of ritual. Then the kids from the future landed in his throne room because of a potions accident. I wonder why he didn't immediately kill them or try to use them as hostages once he knew they were my children?_

The corners of his lips turned down into a frown. A thought niggled at the back of his mind. There was something about the kids that he had been thinking about earlier that was important.

 _If the kids are not mine by Ginny, and that is an almost an incestuous thought, then whose are they?_

Harry shook his head. He would ponder that some more later.

 _Anyways, so whatever they told Voldemort made him Apparate to Privet Drive and take me away. A good thing too since Unc – Vernon had finally been driven past the point of caring how badly he hurt me. Why did the Order always have to threaten him? Don't they realize or care that when Vernon feels threatened or scared he ends up taking it out on me to feel in control again?_ Harry thought bitterly.

 _No, none of them have ever cared enough about Harry to check on me. They all just see their Chosen One._

Harry took some time to consider the bitter feelings that welled up inside him at this thought. Ever since Hagrid told him about Voldemort killing his parents, everyone (including himself) assumed it was reasonable that he would want to avenge their deaths by defeating Voldemort. Of course it also helped that there was a prophecy predicting that he had to kill Voldemort or he wouldn't be able to live.

 _I never knew my parents._

This was true. He had heard about them from different people (both the good and the bad) and he remembered his mother's death, but he didn't _know_ his parents. He knew they loved him enough to die for him, but why hadn't they loved him to live?

Harry sat upright at the thought. _That is not fair to them!_

 _What would I have done if I was my parents and Aeron, Aray, and Dewi were being targeted by a mad man?_

 _I would have gone to Potter Manor – after all the Potters are an Ancient and Noble family, wouldn't they have an ancestral manor like the Malfoys? It should have been possible to adjust the wards to keep everyone but a select few out, right? I heard Malfoy bragging about their family's manor for the longest time, and Bill Weasley was talking about protective wards and the strength of those that belonged to Ancient and Noble Houses._

 _Or I would have fled Britain altogether. My children's safety would have meant more to me than Great Britain's._

Harry frowned. He wasn't sure if fleeing was a cowardly thing to do or a prudent one. He sighed as a tear slid down his cheek, unnoticed. _I guess I can't judge them for their choices, but I wish they could have figured out a way to stay alive for me._

Before he knew it, he was crying and couldn't stop, his shoulders shaking as he buried his head in his arms. Harry wasn't sure if he was crying for himself, for the loss of his parents, for doubting them, for everything.

Tipsy popped in the room with the Lord Consorts' dinner, but frowned when she saw him curled up in the window seat, face blotchy and tear stained. Sighing she placed a warming charm on the food before levitating him back to the bed.

* * *

Harry smiled as he read a story to his kids. He hadn't know these three had or would exist three months ago, and yet he was so in love with them. When Dewi looked up at him with those big green eyes filled with adoration or Aray or Aeron pressed themselves closer into his sides, Harry knew his priorities had shifted. Even if Dumbledore had never done him any harm, Harry would have quit the war in an instant. These three lives mattered more to him than all the lives of his classmates, the Order Members, and all of Wizarding Great Britain combined.

Harry paused and reviewed his own thoughts while he watched Dewi attack his older brothers. Although it scared him some, Harry knew he would sacrifice anyone to protect his family. And yes, that included dying for them. He supposed now he understood his parents' actions a little better now, but he would still fight tooth and nail to live for them.

Dewi and Aray pulled him from his heavy thoughts by tackling him and tickling him. "Noo!" Harry cried out, "I'm being attacked by tickle monsters! Help! Help!"

Laughter came from the doorway. Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Severus were standing in the doorway, watching them. "Alright tickle monsters, time to go see your father." Rabastan said. The three boys whooped with joy, and quickly pressed kisses to Harry's face, before racing out of the room while the Lestrange brothers followed them.

Severus slowly entered the room and sat in one of the armchairs. "You've had us worried the past few days."

Harry winced. "I'm sorry. It felt like I was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions and I didn't know how to handle them."

Severus nodded. "It was not surprising that you would have such extreme emotional upheavals, especially with all that has been thrown at you. Narcissa and I were expecting such a response, but the kids and Vol-their father were beyond worried."

Harry grimaced at that thought that he had caused his kids pain, but suddenly focused on the other person mentioned. "Their father is here?"

"Yes, he has been here since the beginning." Severus said. He and Narcissa had discussed this thoroughly. Harry needed to meet their Lord and truly understand the Dark's point of view. Severus was still worried though. He knew Harry was a strong person, but was it possible for the young man to truly accept what had happened to him and move on from it?

 _The father of my children is a Death Eater._ Harry let that thought sit in his mind for a while. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

 _Can I handle the whole truth? What is the truth?_

Harry drew in a deep breath of air and exhaled. "I want to meet him. I want to meet the father of my children." _And wasn't that a weird sentence to utter._

* * *

A/n: Dun dun dun! Next up Harry and Voldemort finally meet face to face!

Thanks for all the lovely reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

Heirs to the Dark – Chapter 6

 _Can I handle the whole truth? What is the truth?_

Harry drew in a deep breath of air and exhaled. "I want to meet him. I want to meet the father of my children." _And wasn't that a weird sentence to utter._

* * *

Severus stared hard at Harry. "Are you sure?"

 _No._ "Yes, I'm sure."

"Very well then." The Potions Master sighed before turning to lead Harry out of the room.

Harry clenched his fists lightly as they silently walked down the hall. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous all of a sudden. After all that had already been revealed to him, he wasn't sure the identity of his children's father could be more shocking, right?

* * *

 _Why do I tempt Fate by asking stupid questions?_

Harry stared in shock at the older version of the teenager in the Chamber of Secrets. Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord Voldemort.

The Dark Lord looked as stunned as Harry felt.

"Severus." The man practically hissed.

"He wanted to meet the father of his children." Severus stated blandly and then quickly exited the room, leaving the two former enemies staring stunned at each other.

After a few tense moments, Voldemort finally ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "Have a seat. We might as well get comfortable for this discussion."

Harry hesitated for a long moment before gingerly taking a seat in one of the armchairs across from the Dark Lord. Even though he had known that he was currently living in the Dark Lord's manor it was still a shock to be confronted with the incontrovertible proof in the form of the Dark Lord himself. He couldn't believe that Voldemort (!) was the father of his children. Was he insane? Hallucinating?

Voldemort chuckled suddenly, surprising Harry. "You're not insane Harry."

"How…?"

"It was obvious from your face what you were thinking. What do you want to know first?"

"Everything! Why didn't you kill the children when you found out they were mine? Why didn't you kill me? Why did you kill my parents?" Harry burst out wildly, piling one difficult question on top of another, not giving the Dark Lord a chance to respond.

Finally, his chest heaving slightly from his outburst and his fists tightly clenched, Harry stared at Voldemort, waiting.

The Dark Lord nodded, having expected these questions. "To answer those questions I think you need to understand my past and how that shaped the decisions I made later on. My mother was a Squib, Merope Gaunt, and the Gaunts were descended from Salazar Slytherin himself. She was not pretty and was at the mercy of my uncle and grandfather who were disgusted with her due to her lack of magic. She fell in love with Tom Riddle, my father, and used love potions to ensnare him. Eventually she gave up administering the love potion in the hope that Riddle loved her or at least would stay on my behalf. Unfortunately, she miscalculated and he abandoned the both of us."

Harry made a soft sound of empathy, but Voldemort plowed on with his story.

"My mother died not long after giving birth to me, but she managed to bring me to an orphanage where I grew up. It was not a pleasant place. The matrons gave us only the most basic of care, and the orphanage itself was poor, which meant there were not a lot of resources to go around. Of course, children are often the cruelest tormentors, and they were the ones who made my time there truly miserable. However, once I discovered my Parseltongue abilities and magic, I quickly learned to fight back against my tormentors. On one hand, I was able to stop some of the pain I felt, but on the other hand, I also incurred more problems in that the matrons became even more suspicious of me, even when they couldn't prove I had done something."

He paused, then shook his head and continued on. "When Dumbledore came to tell me about Hogwarts when I was 11, I was uncharacteristically excited. Finally, here was proof that what I could do wasn't devilry, but magic. I made the mistake of mentioning my Parseltongue abilities. Immediately, I sensed the change in him, from the warm grandfather persona to a suspicious authority figure. Even with that change in him I was still ecstatic to go Hogwarts and had expectations of finding my place and peers."

Harry leaned closed, enthralled with this glimpse into his supposed enemy's past, and feeling sorrow for the severely misunderstood young boy.

"Naturally, my expectations of Hogwarts were dashed when I was sorted into Slytherin and had to face the dislike of the other houses, but also the blood prejudices of my own House. My first year was an eye-opener and only inspired me to rise about the petty bigotries that plagued me. By second year, I had won respect for being the Heir to Slytherin and for my magical strength. The years passed and as I accumulated the respect and power I believed I deserved, I truly began to observe the inequalities in our society. Muggleborns were scorned for not knowing about or learning about the world they had entered. Although you can't really blame 11 year olds for not doing additional research, neither were there opportunities for the Muggleborns to learn about the new world they had entered. Hogwarts didn't offer a Wizarding Studies course nor did Purebloods attempt to educate them. Also the sentient magical races were not allowed to attend Hogwarts despite the fact that they had the ability to use Wizarding magic in addition to their own abilities. And despite how much it irritated me to admit it, what Hogwarts students were taught about Muggles was absolute rubbish. No student who took the class could have successfully blended into the Muggle world if needed. Also during these years I was exposed, through my Pureblood acquaintances and followers, to the fact that the Ministry was even more antiquated and inept than Hogwarts. These observations and encounters only added fuel to my surety that the Wizarding World needed to change. Originally I wanted do so through the Ministry. I was confident I would be able to gain a position of influence because of my grades and the allies I had made."

"But Dumbledore interfered." Harry spoke up for the first time.

Voldemort nodded shortly. "Ever since I admitted I could speak to snakes Dumbledore had been wary of me. Admittedly I did have rather grandiose plans of revolutionizing wizarding Britain, but at that point I had no intentions of doing so through force nor of installing myself as a dictator. I simply knew that wizarding Britain needed to change and someone needed to be the catalyst." Voldemort paused. "I suppose beginning my study of the Dark Arts was not a wise choice as it only fueled Dumbledore's suspicions that I was a Dark Lord in Training, but I was just as much a Ravenclaw as a Slytherin and both Houses valued knowledge."

"If that was the case originally what happened to finally make you go down the path you did?" Harry asked sipping from the cup of tea a House Elf silently served.

"Well there were several things that happened. First of all, I was scared of death when I was still in Hogwarts. During the summers I was still forced to return to the orphanage where I could no longer use magic, with or without a wand, to protect myself from the older children who were afraid of what I could do. There was one summer where I ended up beaten so badly the nuns actually had to take me to a hospital for fear I would die. That was all the motivation I needed to start researching ways to become immortal. Eventually I came across a ritual to create Horcruxes."

"Horcruxes?" Harry questioned, having never heard of the term.

"A Horcrux is a vessel meant to contain a fragment of your soul. It is a very Dark ritual that requires you to murder someone which then fragments your soul allowing you to remove a piece and store it in a physical object. The idea is that the Horcrux can be used in a ritual to bring you back to life if you die." Voldemort explained.

"That makes no sense to me. How are you supposed to conduct a ritual with your Horcrux to bring you back to life if you are already dead?" Harry questioned not seeing the logic in this plan.

Voldemort snorted. "Precisely. At the moment I had only planned to use the Horcrux as a backup plan while I continued to search for a much better solution to immortality. Although I had done extensive research on the side effects of creating a Horcrux and knew I would start to lose my emotions, which I considered a good thing at the time, I didn't realize just how profoundly the loss of certain emotions would affect me. Again I only planned on creating one Horcrux until I discovered a better route to immortality. Unfortunately, by the time I had graduated from Hogwarts Dumbledore had managed to convince key players in the Ministry that I was a Dark Lord in the making and hell bent on destroying the Ministry from the inside out. As a result, I wasn't even able to start in a menial assistant position nor was I able to obtain a teaching post at Hogwarts which was my true passion. Thanks to Dumbledore I had no other choice, but to take a job at Borgin & Burke's which of course just further convinced Dumbledore that I was evil. From there things escalated faster than I had expected. Dumbledore continued to make people think I was evil, I started becoming more paranoid which led me to create more Horcruxes and to believe that the only way to make changes in the wizarding world was through a violent revolution. One thing led to another and suddenly I truly was a Dark Lord with an army of followers and a desire to subdue the so-called "Light" side. My original goals become twisted and far more violence was utilized than was strictly necessary. By the time I heard the prophecy that spoke of a child who would be my downfall I was well and truly gone."

Harry frowned staring down at the empty mug in his hands trying to make sense of what he was told. "If everything you said was accurate then why the sudden resurgence of sanity and playing nice with me?"

"When I briefly possessed you at the Ministry of Magic I encountered something completely unexpected. A Horcrux."

"What?" Harry gasped, stunned, the empty teacup tumbling from his hands.

"A Horcrux. My unexpected 7th Horcrux. The night I went to your house to kill you I had intended on using your death to create a 7th and final Horcrux because of the significance of the number 7 in magical theory. Of course I lost my body that night and was never able to finish the ritual to create a Horcrux or so I thought. Everything I had read during before creating my first Horcrux advised against it as there was no record of what the Horcrux would do to the living host. It was risky making Nagini into one, but I was still insane."

"Is that why I can speak Parseltongue?"

"That was my thought. When I possessed you and encountered the Horcrux it was as though a fog had lifted from my mind. If I was able to find the Horcrux then it was logical to believe the Headmaster knew as well, especially since he had 11 years to contemplate this and with what he assumed about my dealings with the Dark Arts. All of a sudden so many things made sense to me. Although you were the supposed Savior of the Light there was no logical reason for you to face me as many times as we did. Dumbledore should have spent those 11 years when I was a wandering spirit having his Order of the Phoenix hunt down and destroy my Horcruxes when there wasn't much I could do to defend them. You should have been raised in a wizarding household learning what you would need to know. If Dumbledore really believed you were the only one who could deliver the killing blow to me then he should have spent the time you were in Hogwarts training you if only for the fact that I have 40+ years of experience over you. But he did none of those things and it was easy to see that we were continuously pushed into those encounters for the sole purpose of me casting the _Avada Kedavra_ curse at you and thus unknowingly destroying my own Horcrux."

Harry stared aghast. "You mean he was expecting me to die?!"

Voldemort nodded slowly. "That is the only reason I can come up with that makes sense. Dumbledore is just as obsessed with the Prophecy as I was which is why he was so focused on you, and you alone, fighting me. Even if he truly believed that you were the only person in the world that could deliver the killing blow to me, Dumbledore should have been there easing your way – through training, through hunting down my other Horcruxes, keeping you safe from those beasts you were living with. There are so many things he should have done differently and I cannot believe that Dumbledore hadn't considered them. Dumbledore is a master manipulator and he had to have made the choices he did for a reason that would benefit him and his ideal of the "Greater Good." Voldemort said bitterly. "The death of one orphan wouldn't cause him an iota of grief if it meant his vision for the wizarding world was realized."

The two sat in silence for a while, contemplating the actions of one man who, so focused on one path, was blind to the havoc he was wreaking.

"So what now? Do you just expect me to suddenly think you are the second coming of Merlin, call you My Lord, and kiss your robes like your other minions?" Harry asked, half in jest and half seriously.

Voldemort stared at Harry shocked. Then he did something surprising.

He laughed.

Harry stared in amazement. He had expected to dodge a _Crucio_ or suffer a string of insults rather than making the Dark Lord _laugh._ Actually he was sure those words had never been uttered in the same sentence before.

"Oh Harry. I haven't laughed like that in years. No, I cannot imagine you would kiss my robes like a mere minion. Although I would like to be there the first time you call Lucius one of my minions." Voldemort chuckled.

Harry snorted.

"No, I did not expect you to just immediately embrace the Dark Side. I had hoped that I could convince you to at least stay neutral or try to convince the Light side that it was in their best interest to work with me. I hadn't really thought that far in advance. But with the appearance of our sons and their explanation of the future, I knew that I would never settle for a different future. No, Harry. My plan now is to convince you of why you will never consider another as your mate, and allow me to court you. You will be my Consort and rule by my side."

All laughter had been swept aside and Harry felt like Rita Skeeter must have when he and Hermione had kept her in a glass jar, trapped. Trapped beneath the heavy crimson gaze of the most feared Dark Lord in recent history.

"We have three beautiful children together Harry. Why would I not do everything in my power to prove to you that I am the only one for you? That I am the only one who can protect you and our family? That only I can give you the chance to make your own choices without having to worry about fighting a war?" Voldemort at this point was bracing himself with one hand on the back of the couch Harry was sitting on and leaning over him while has other hand had reached out and cupped Harry's cheek.

Harry's eyes widened and his cheeks blossomed with embarrassment. He couldn't help it as his eyes darted down to the Dark Lord's own lips that were suddenly so close and he squeaked in surprise.

Voldemort chuckled again and moved away holding his hand out for Harry to take.

Too bewildered by what had just transpired, Harry let the Dark Lord pull him upright and place a hand on the small of his back to propel him forwards. "Come. The little ones are practically driving the Lestrange brothers insane with their desire to see you again."

* * *

Harry smiled as he curled up on the couch with Aeron tucked into his side and watched Aray read a magical theory book with Voldemort. Dewi was sprawled out asleep on Rabastan who had collapsed on the floor, run ragged by the four year old. Rodolphus was also on the floor and slumped against one of the armchairs also exhausted.

Harry snorted suddenly causing the three men to glance over at him. Harry smirked mischievously, "If I had known all it would take to defeat the evil Dark side was loose a bunch of 4 year olds on you all, I would have done so ages ago."

"Sod off." Rabastan muttered, dropping his head back to the floor with a soft thud, but always keeping one hand on the back of the sleeping toddler.

Voldemort, though he would never admit it, rolled his eyes and then went back to speaking with Aray about the spells in the book. His son was smart and very knowledgeable about a myriad of spells. Of course Voldemort expected nothing less from his son and heir. Of course he also expected his son was magically powerful considering who his parents were.

He looked over at Harry cuddling and tickling Aeron and reaffirmed his commitment to courting the young man so that this glimpse of the future he had been shown became a reality. The first thing he would do would be to take Harry to one of the other magical alleys outside of Britain. Show him the wonders of the magical world and begin demonstrating to his young Consort-to-be what only he could provide. Paris was a bit cliché, but what about Beijing or Tokyo?

"Daddy!" Aeron screamed as Harry chose to blow raspberries on the boy's stomach as the little one shrieked with delight.

Rodolphus watched the Dark Lord smile fondly at the pair and prayed to all the old deities and Mother Magic herself that Harry would willingly choose the Dark Side and their Lord. He couldn't ever remember seeing the Dark Lord smile, at least post-Hogwarts.

Harry looked up and locked eyes with the Dark Lord and flushed lightly, remembering earlier. He quickly dropped his gaze back to his son, but Voldemort smirked anyways.

 _Hmmm….Tokyo it is._

* * *

A/n: Sorry this took so long to finish! A bit short, but it covers some background on why the Dark Lord is the way he is. Will Harry be able to completely embrace the Dark and all it stands for? What about when his friends and godfathers re-enter the picture? Please let me know what you think! - Dark Disaster


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